Malaysia Airlines posts Q4 profit

Malaysia Airlines said Monday it turned around in the fourth quarter, helping it stay in the black for 2009 despite the global economic slump.

The carrier recorded a net profit of 610 million ringgit ($179.4 million) in the three months through December _ rebounding from a loss in the previous quarter _ thanks to an increase in traffic and reduction in operating costs.

Revenue for the fourth quarter, however, declined 14 percent to 3.3 billion ringgit ($970 million) as airlines cut ticket prices amid the slump.

For the full year, the state-owned carrier reported a net profit of 490 million ringgit ($144.1 million), a better performance compared …